Roblox adopts AI-powered age verification to boost child safety

Roblox’s new safety layer: what’s changing

Roblox is rolling out a mandatory AI-driven age-verification system for users who want to access its chat and communication features. The plan, expected to finish by the end of 2025, aims to replace the platform’s previous reliance on self-reported birth dates with a multi-layered approach that adds biometric checks, identity validation, and parental consent.

Here’s the gist: if you’re an existing or new user, your age needs to be verified so you can participate in chats, messages, and other interactions. The idea is to better separate adults from minors and tailor content and experiences to age-appropriate levels. In practice, that means several options for verification, from more basic identity checks to biometric signals, all designed to reduce risky interactions.

How it works (the tech, in simple terms)

• Selfies are analyzed by an AI system to estimate age, forming a signal about whether a user is likely under 13, around that threshold, or clearly older.
• A government-issued ID may be requested for more robust age confirmation.
• Parental consent remains a critical piece for users who are not yet adults, ensuring guardians have a say in account access.
• The system uses a multi-layered strategy to limit interactions between adults and minors unless a real-world relationship is established (e.g., QR code scans, contact import).

Roblox has partnered with Persona, a third-party identity-verification firm, to perform age estimation and ID checks. Roblox stresses that the raw biometric data isn’t stored by the company itself; Persona is responsible for processing, with data deletion within 30 days unless law requires retention.

Why this move feels different

For years, Roblox faced criticism and legal scrutiny over safety on its platform. The company cites lawsuits and public concern that its policies weren’t doing enough to shield younger users from predators or inappropriate content. The new system is pitched as a practical step toward a safer online environment, one that aligns with global expectations about age certainty and parental controls.

Beyond verification, Roblox is expanding its safety architecture with standardized regional ratings through the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC). In the US, ESRB ratings and PEGI in Europe will provide clearer, independent age guidance for games and experiences. Roblox also highlights more than 100 safety initiatives, including its open-source AI safety tool, Roblox Sentinel, designed to detect early signs of child endangerment.

Privacy and risk considerations

Biometric verification raises legitimate concerns about data privacy and minors’ sensitive information. Roblox emphasizes that it doesn’t access raw biometric data; instead, a service provider handles it and deletes it after a short window—unless the law requires retention. Privacy advocates caution that even with deletion promises, biometric systems create new vectors for misuse or data breaches.

This shift is part of a broader industry trend, spurred by legal pressures and new regulations like the UK’s Online Safety Act, toward more robust age checks beyond self-declaration. Critics argue that biometric-age systems can be circumvented and aren’t a complete fix, but supporters say they’re a meaningful upgrade over signatures and birthdays alone.

What’s next for Roblox and the industry

• Enforcement of age-based access across communication features by late 2025, with ongoing improvements to consent workflows.
• More transparent content ratings tied to globally recognized authorities, reducing ambiguity for parents.
• Additional safety tools and open-source projects that aim to detect and deter predatory behavior in real time.

The Roblox rollout could influence how other platforms approach protection for young users, potentially serving as a blueprint for balancing safety, privacy, and user experience under evolving regulatory regimes.

Final thoughts

Roblox’s AI-powered age verification marks a notable shift in the way online safety is engineered, from a system built on user-provided data to one that relies on multiple data streams and third-party verification. It’s a bold experiment in risk management that’s drawn both praise and skepticism. As the company begins to implement these checks worldwide, observers will be watching closely to see how well the balance between privacy and security holds up in practice.

Sources

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